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Weekly Event Announcements for the City of Alexandria: February 12 – 18, 2011

Saturday, February 12 – “The Lion Mountains” Film Screening
A film screening of “The Lion Mountains: A Journey Through Sierra Leone’s History” will be hosted at 4:30 p.m. at the Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe St. The film chronicles the journey of Louis Buckley, a young British filmmaker who travels to Sierra Leone, the center of British West Africa in the days of British imperialism. Buckley is the first member of his family to return to Africa after his ancestors were uprooted from Africa and transported to Jamaica as slaves. The film looks at pre-colonial Sierra Leone, questioning what happened in the days of the British Empire and how the country changed. This free event is part of the Movies with a Mission series inspiring dialogue about African and the African Diaspora. Reservations are recommended. For more information, visit www.alexblackhistory.org or call 703.746.4356.

Monday, February 14 – Tavern Toddlers
Join us for a special program for toddlers (walkers through 36 months) and their caregivers at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal St. Tavern Toddlers features a weekly open playtime in Gadsby’s historic ballroom Mondays, excluding Federal holidays, through April 25 any time between 10:30 a.m. and noon. Cost is $7 for a group of three, which must include one adult, or $30 for purchase of a five-week pass. For more information, please visit www.gadsbystavern.org or call 703.746.4242.

Tuesday, February 15 -- SBDC Business Development Roundtable Meeting
The Small Business Development Center is hosting a seminar entitled "Branding on a Shoestring Budget" as part of their Business Development Roundtable series. The seminar is scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. at the Durant Center, 1605 Cameron St. Admission is free. For more information, call 703.778.1292.

Tuesday, February 15 - “ The Ground Beneath Our Feet: Massive Resistance” Film Screening
To commemorate Black History Month, the Alexandria Human Rights Commission will host a screening of the film “ The Ground Beneath Our Feet: Massive Resistance” and host a panel discussion about the massive resistance in the South following the Supreme Court ruling to desegregate schools. The film screening is free and open to the public, and is scheduled from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Black History Museum. For more information, contact Jean Kelleher Niebauer at 703.746.3140.

Wednesday, February 16 - Speak Up, Take ACTion Town Hall Meetings
Want to improve the quality of life in Alexandria? Speak up! ACT for Alexandria, the City of Alexandria, Partnership for a Healthy Alexandria, and Virginia Tech are partnering to develop a better way to inform key decisions in Alexandria – through “quality of life indicators.” Quality of life indicators are the answers to the question, “What matters most to the people who live in Alexandria?” A town hall meeting to discuss this issue from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at William Ramsay Recreation Center, and a second meeting is scheduled on Wednesday, March 2, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Charles Houston Recreation Center. You can also take five minutes to vote online with ACTion Alexandria at www.actionalexandria.org. For more information, visit www.healthieralexandria.org.

Wednesday, February 16 – George Washington Black History Month Lecture
At Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 North Royal Street, Professor Peter Henriques will present
“Those Who Labor For Me: A Closer Look at Some of George Washington's Enslaved Workers.” Professor Peter Henriques, Professor of History Emeritus from George Mason University, will focus on a handful of enslaved workers, Charlotte, Sambo Anderson and Ona Judge and introduce these fascinating but largely forgotten people to a wider audience. He will illustrate not only the horrors of slavery, but also reveal a more complicated story than generally known. Doors open at 7 p.m. and lecture begins at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $12 per lecture and $10 for Society members and volunteers. For more information, visit www.gadsbystavern.org or call 703.746.4242.

Thursday, February 17 – 18th Century Dance Class
In preparation for the Birthnight Ball on February 19, learn 18th-century English country dancing from expert dance instructor at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal St. Class is 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and costs $12 per class or $30 for the series of three. For more information, please visit www.gadsbystavern.org or call 703.746.4242.

Coming Soon

Saturday thru Monday, February 19-21 - George Washington Birthday Parade & Weekend Festivities
You won’t want to miss the largest parade in the country celebrating the nation’s first president, which takes place on Washington’s Birthday holiday, Monday, February 21, 1 to 3 p.m. in Old Town Alexandria. The parade in one highlight of many events, including an historic reenactment at Fort Ward Park, the Birthnight Banquet & Ball at Gadsby’s Tavern, a 10-K race, a 1-mile race just before the parade, plus free open houses at historic attractions. Visit www.Washingtonbirthday.Net/events for a complete schedule of events. Call 703.746.3301 or visit www.VisitAlexandriaVA.com for more information on entertainment, shopping, dining and nightlife in Alexandria.

Wednesday, February 23 – Town Hall Meeting on Creating a Livable Community
The City of Alexandria Department of Community and Human Services’ Office of Aging and Adult Services, in conjunction with the Viable Futures Center of JustPartners, Inc., strategic planning consultants, invites the public to attend a town hall meeting to discuss strategies for creating a Livable Community for All Ages while focusing on the growing population of older residents. The meeting will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Minnie Howard Campus of T.C. Williams High School, 3801 W. Braddock Rd. A second town hall meeting is scheduled on Thursday, March 3, from noon to 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Alexandria, 2932 King St. For more information, contact Debbie Ludington at 703.746.5694. To RSVP, call 703.746.5999 and press 5.

Now Registering

Jerome “Buddie” Ford Nature Center Offers Alexandria Prehistoric Peoples Spring Break CampWondering what to do over spring break? Children ages 7 to 10 can enjoy a week long, full day nature camp learning about the prehistoric Indian peoples who once lived within Alexandria's ancient forests. Activities include woodland hikes, games, role playing, stone tool making, storytelling, journaling, and more! The camp fee includes a field trip to the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC. Register early, space is limited! To register, visit www.alexandriava.gov/Recreation or call 703.746.5559 for more information.

Community Emergency Response Team TrainingThe Alexandria Office of Emergency Management offers residents of the City of Alexandria the opportunity to join with other concerned members of the community to be trained as a member of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). The CERT program teaches City residents how to help themselves and their neighbors increase their neighborhoods’ disaster readiness by performing essential tasks that aid in disaster recovery and response. The training is free. For more information, call Kim Purcell at 703.746.5259 or visit www.alexandriava.gov/CERT.

Ongoing

City of Alexandria Farmers’ Markets
The City of Alexandria is host to the Old Town Farmers’ Market and Del Ray Farmers’ Market every Saturday. The markets feature colorful displays of fresh, locally grown, in-season vegetables and fruit, gourmet coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice, meat, bakery items and artisans. For more information, visit www.alexandriava.gov/farmersmarket.

Open through May 1 – “Patriotic and Public Spirited” Commemorative Wares in George Washington’s HometownAlexandria prides itself on being the hometown of George Washington and Robert E. Lee, and historic events such as George Washington’s Birthnight Ball and Lafayette’s 1824 visit to Alexandria were cause for great celebration. This exhibition of commemorative ceramic wares, recovered from archaeological excavations or preserved in collections, shows the community’s interest in events and historic places of local and national significance. The Lyceum, Alexandria’s History Museum (201 South Washington Street) is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.alexandriahistory.org or call 703.746.4994.

Open through May 7 – Style and Identity: Black Alexandria in the 1970s, Portraits by Horace Day
At the Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 S. Wythe St., view this new exhibition of 32 paintings by Horace Day featuring Alexandria street scenes and portraits of African American Alexandrians. Described as an American scene or regional painter, Day created this body of work at a time when “Black” was becoming “Beautiful,” but when media still promoted stereotypical, demeaning images of African Americans. Day’s portraits reflect the dignity and beauty he saw in his subjects. Museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Suggested admission is $2. For more information, visit www.alexblackhistory.org or call 703.746.4356.